Exercising apparatus.



PATENTED MAR/1'7, 1908.

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APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 28. 1907.

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EXERCISING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 28, 1907.

Patented March 1'7, 1908.

Serial No. 381,189.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIAN P. THOMAS, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exercising Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to exercising apparatus and one of the objects thereof is to provide apparatus of the above character which will strengthen and develop the entire bod Aiiother object is to provide an apparatus the use of which will tend to reduce the dimensions of certain parts of the body, particularly the hips, and at the same time strengthen those parts through exercise and develop the muscles of the trunk and legs.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein is illustrated one of the various possible embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the apparatus in operative position, and Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of said apparatus. I

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in both figures of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 indicates a belt having on its inner surface cushioning means as at 2, said belt being adapted to be passed about the body and secured in position by means of straps 3 which cooperate with buckles or similarattaching devices 4. In the present instance, belt 1 diverges slightly in a downward direction so as to conform more nearly to the contour of the hips of the wearer, and rests thereon as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Extending in an upward direction from the front portion of the belt are auxiliary supporting devices which, in the present instance, are constituted by straps 5 and 6, said straps crossing at the front of the body, extending over the shoulders of the user and again crossing at the back and thence extending downwardly to their point of attachment at the rear portion of the belt.

Belt 1 is provided at the front and rear portion with hooks or analogous devices 7 upon which are mounted the upper ends of cords or chains 8. Two of these chains are provided at front and rear portion of the belt, said chains extending downwardly to a point intermediate the legs of the user and are joined at their lower ends. Chains 8 are also connected with a single chain 9 which extends downwardly and at its lower end is connected with the upper end of an exercising device 1.0, the opposite end of the exercising device, in the present instance, being connected by means of a hook 11 with the floor.

The exercising device, in the present instance, is constituted by spring mechanism inclosed in a casing, the front portion of which is provided with a dial 12 properly calibrated to indicate the amount of tensile power exerted on the spring mechanism within.

An indicating pointer 13 is connected with the spring mechanism and operates in conjunction with the dial to indicate the amount of power exerted upon the spring mechanlsm.

At each side of the exercising device and resting upon the floor are platforms which, in the present instance, are constituted by blocks 14 and 15.

Having thus described the construction of this embodiment of my invention, the operation thereof, which to a large extent should be obvious, is substantially as follows: Having adjusted the apparatus upon the body as shown in Fig. 1 and connected the same with the exercising device, the same is ready for use. At this point it may be noted, however, that in positioning the apparatus upon the body and connecting the same with the exercising device the user occupies a position upon the floor. In this position, with the body of the user in an upright position, no stress will be exerted upon the exercising device. I/Vhen, however, the apparatus has been so adjusted, the operator ste s upon the platform, thus lifting the belt anc causing the spring mechanism of the exercising device to be placed under tension.

In using the apparatus, the user alternately raises and lowers his body by bending at the knees and hips, thus actuating the spring in one direction against its tension,

said spring exerting a tendency to urge the belt in an opposite direction.

I have found that the apparatus can be used with greater efiiciency where the user grasps a fixed support provided in front of the platforms.

It will accordingly be seen that I have provided an apparatus of the above character well adapte to attain, among others, the above enumerated ends and objects in a simple and yet efficient manner and, inasmuch as the belt rests upon the hi s of the user and the spring mechanism ten s to oppose the upward movement thereof, the parts u on which the belt rests are compressed an at the same time exercised, such operations tending to reduce the size of the parts and at the same time adding to their strength. In asmuch as the auxiliary supporting straps which pass over the shoulders of the user support and lift a portion of the weight, the up er portion of the body is also exercised as wel as the legs through which the entire energy transmitted to the exercising device must be transmitted.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of th1s invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an exercising ap aratus, in combination, a belt adapted to e passed about the body and to rest upon the hips of the user, a plurality of members connected to the front and rear portions of said belt, said members extending downwardly and being connected at their lower ends at a point intermediate the legs of the user, an exercising device connected with a fixed support, and means for connecting said exercising device with the lower ends of said downwardly extending members.

2. In an exercising apparatus, in combination, a belt adapted to be passed about the body and to rest upon the hi s of the user, a plurality of straps connecte with said belt and extending over the shoulders, a plurality of cords or chains extending downwardly from the front and rear portions of said belt and joined at their lower ends at a point intermediate the legs of the user, an exercising device secured to the floor, and a cord or chain connected to the lower end of said first-named cord or chains and also connected with said exercising device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIAN P. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

J. WALTER WATTS, C. H. WiLsoN. 

